In this week's Boston Strong, meet someone who knows a bit about running is helping others go the distance.

Not long ago, Ikeyta Coston was unemployed and homeless. Then life for her and her two children changed.

"I don't want to think of where I could have been," said Coston.

Now she's a healthcare job recruiter, thanks to the Fireman Foundation.

"They paid for my whole school. They paid for transportation, for everything," said Coston.

Knowing only one in four homeless families get a permanent housing subsidy, former Reebok CEO and chairman Paul Fireman and his wife, Phyllis, started Secure Jobs to connect people with job opportunities more quickly, giving a better shot of climbing the economic ladder.

"You have to integrate housing with employment with child care and transportation to make it as easy as possible. It's one thing to resolve their homelessness. It's another to launch their life," said Sue Beaton, interim director of the Fireman Foundation.

So far, they've given $2.5 million to agencies across the state, like Jewish Vocational Service. They train people for jobs, including how to market themselves for that job. At a recent class at JVS, that was the focus.

In Providencia Rivera's case, Secure Jobs helped her become a certified medical interpreter.

"I want to better market myself, to be more confident when I go out there. I want to become an independent woman, a better mother and just better in everything," said Rivera.

Barbara Barnes, a veteran who used to be homeless and an alcoholic, is now training to be a drug and alcohol counselor.

Steady support, she said, is helping her become self-sufficient.

"Homeless folks do get a rap that they're not willing. They are willing. They just need direction," said Barnes.

So far, the program shows success. Only a year in, 100 people in the Boston program have found jobs as health aides, drivers, security guards and food prep workers. That's 100 lives made better.

"These people fall off the radar. We have to make it such that they can stay focused on learning and get to the goal," said Beaton.

The Fireman Foundation's last $1 million for this year was matched by the state. If the success continues, the group hopes the state may one day take it over. Five regions across the commonwealth have received grants.

THE SAYING GOES LIFE IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT. IN BOSTON STRONG, ONE WHO KNOWS A THING ABOUT RUNNING IS HELPING OTHERS GO THE DISTANCE. ERICA HAS THE STORY. NOT LONG AGO, AKITA WAS UNEMPLOYED AND HOMELESS. THEN LIFE FOR HER AND HER TWO CHILDREN CHANGED. I DON'T EVEN WANT TO THINK OF WHERE I COULD HAVE BEEN. NOW SHE IS A HEALTHCARE JOB RECRUITER, THANKS TO THE FIREMEN FOUNDATION. THEY PAID FOR MY WHOLE ENTIRE SCHOOL AND COVERED MY TRANSPORTATION. I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING. KNOWING ONLY ONE IN FOUR HOMELESS FAMILIES GETS A PERMANENT HOUSING SUBSIDY, FORMER REEBOK C.E.O. PAUL FIREMAN AND HIS WIFE PHYLLIS STARTED SECURE JOBS, GIVING PEOPLE A PER SHOT OF CLIMBING THE ECONOMIC LADDER. ONE THING TO RESOLVE THEIR HOMELESSNESS. ANOTHER TO LAUNCH THEIR LIFE. THEY HAVE GIVEN $2.5 MILLION TO AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE LIKE JEWISH VOCATIONAL SERVICES SAYING FOR EVERYTHING FROM JOB TRAINING. YOU WANT THE EMPLOYER TO BUY INTO IT. TO HOUSING, CHILD CARE, TRANSPORTATION. IN HER CASE, THEY HELPED HER BECOME A CERTIFIED MEDICAL INTERPRETER. I WANT TO BETTER MARKET MYSELF AND BE MORE CONFIDENT WHENGY OUT THERE TO PARTLY CLOUDY AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN. TO BECOME A BETTER MOTHER. AND BARBARA BARNS, A VETERAN WHO USED TO BE HOMELESS AND AN ALCOHOLIC IS TRAINING TO BE A DRUG AND ALCOHOL COUNSELOR. STEADY SUPPORT SHE SAYS HELPED HER BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT. HOMELESS FOLKS GET A REP THEY ARE NOT WILLING. THEY ARE WILLING AND JUST NEED THE DIRECTION. IT IS WORKING. ONLY A YEAR NO THE PROGRAM, 100 PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM FOUND JOBS AS HEALTH AIDES, DRIVERS, SECURITY GUARDS AND FOOD PREP WORKER. 100 LIVES MADE BETTER. THESE PEOPLE FALL OFF THE RADAR. WE HAVE TO MAKE IT SO THEY CAN STAY FOCUSED, LEARNING AND GET TO THE GOAL. IN THE FIREMAN FOUNDATION LAST $1 MILLION WAS ACTUALLY MATCHED BY THE STATE.